Pope John Paul II - Gozo - Malta - Statues of Religious Figures on Waymarking.com

Bronze monument to Pope John Paul II in St George's Square - Gozo

After calling at all the villages of Gozo the bronze statue of Pope John Paul II, now in Victoria, spent its last night prior to its unveiling in St George’s Square. It was brought into the square, quite unceremoniously, yesterday, Friday, October 13,2006 at 5.30pm. Later this morning it will leave the most ancient and vibrant square of the island to the site, on the Western outskirt of the town where it will be placed on a local marble plinth. The “national monument” to the revered Pope will be inaugurated at an open-air ceremony attended by HE Dr Edward Fenech Adami, President of Malta, and HL Mgr Mario Grech, Bishop of Gozo.

The statue is a prestigious work of art by Gozitan artist Alfred Camilleri Cauchi who worked on it at his Fgura studios in Malta where he resides. It represents a larger than life image of the Roman Pontiff in a pose quite familiar with both local and international media. It is that of a Pope personally reaching out to people with the crucified Christ’s message of joy. The gesso, shaped in the traditional ‘Baroque’ style so well loved by the majority of locals, was cast in bronze at an Italian foundry not far from the city of Naples.

The arrival on St George’s Square of Pope John Paul II’s bronze coincided with the parish festivity of Our Lady of Fatima for whom the late Pope had very deep devotion. It was to the Virgin of Fatima that he attributed his survival from the attempt on his life in St Peter’s Square. In the light of this spiritual bond between the late Pope and the Blessed Virgin of Fatima, the archpriest of St George’s basilica, Mgr Joseph Farrugia, took the initiative to have the Marian procession that took place yesterday, conclude on the high steps of the basilica, that is, beside the statue displayed beneath the façade of the church. There, in the open air, before the Real Presence of Christ exposed in the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, in the spiritual presence of Mary symbolised by the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, and surrounded by a devout congregation, Mgr Farrugia read out a prayer inspired by one that the Polish Pope had written in 1983. Then, immediate after the daily petition on behalf of the benefactors of St George’s, the archpriest imparted Eucharistic benediction.

Many people could be seen visiting the statue of Pop John Paul II until late into last night. It was flood-lit with the collaboration of the basilica administration and numerous candles were placed in front of it both by the organisers of the event as well as by parishioners. Devotion to Pope John Paul II who is on the fast track to beatification is very much alive in St George’s and it has swelled uninterruptedly since the night of his death.


At the end of the evening celebration on the steps of the basilica, Mr Charles Zammit, a member of the organising committee representing the Gozo Ministry's Cultural Council, presented the archpriest with a memento of the statue’s journey from Italy to Gozo.

The archpriest invited the congregation to pray so that, if it is God’s will, Pope John Paul II may be honoured soon as a new “Blessed” of the Catholic Church.

Associated Religion(s): Roman Catholic Statue Location: Cathedral steps of St George - Gozo Entrance Fee: free Artist: Alfred Camilleri Cauchi Website: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Take a picture of the statue. A waymarker and/or GPSr is not required to be in the image but it doesn't hurt.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   09/28/2021 greysman visited it 05/21/2018 dtrebilc visited it 06/29/2014 The Travel Fairy visited it 05/27/2014 fern ab visited it 08/11/2011 holy-ghost visited it 02/17/2010 Wickan visited it

View all visits/logs